What Is Halloween Actually All About Anyway?

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As we all prepare for a weekend of spooky shenanigans, let’s have a little look into what this ‘holiday’ of Halloween, is actually all about…

Nobody, NOBODY, does Halloween quite like the Americans – they literally wipe the floor with us Brits when it comes to celebrating this occasion – but did you know that Halloween actually came from Britain?

According to Regina Hansen, (College of General Studies master lecturer in rhetoric and an expert in the supernatural and how it’s portrayed in literature and film):

“The practices of Halloween mostly come from Celtic paganism in the British Isles, and their feast of Samhain, the new year. They believed it was the time when ghosts and spirits came out to haunt, and the Celts would appease the spirits by giving them treats. The feast was celebrated in Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and parts of Britain.Halloween also has some elements of the Romans celebrating Pomona, the goddess of fruit and trees. That was like a harvest feast, and we have elements of that today in our Halloween celebration—we bob for apples, for instance.

When Christianity came to Britain—just like what happened when Christianity came to other cultures—they figured the best way to convert people was to incorporate their practices instead of banning them. It just so happened that November 1 was the Christian Feast of All Saints and the next day is All Souls’ Day. October 31 became the Eve of All Saints, or All Hallows’ Eve. So the modern practice of Halloween incorporates Christianity and pagan rituals.

A lot of people think of Halloween as an American holiday. In some ways it is a very American holiday, because we’ve made it big, but because of that, people don’t remember that its roots are Celtic-European.”

So, come on the Brits I say! Stop moaning about this ‘new American holiday’ that’s sneaking its way into our lives and get yourself covered in fake blood and join in…

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